Hump Day Snack: Hay Isn't Just for Horses
As California Chrome races toward the Triple Crown at this weekend’s Belmont Stakes, do as his fellow horses do by integrating hay into your viewing party menu. That’s right, hay. No, we’re not saying you should drag out bales of the stuff onto your lawn and ring the dinner bell. (What would the neighbors think?!) On the contrary, cooking your meat in hay (aka "Stable-to-Table Dining") is actually a time-tested technique used for hundreds of years, and by some of today’s most acclaimed chefs. It works as nature’s very own low-cost kitchen tool, insulating meats like lamb, chicken and more to make them tender and moist, while also imparting an unmistakably earthy flavor. Try Hay-Baked Lamb with Peas (pictured above), and serve it as the crowning component of your Triple Crown menu.
Come Saturday, stir up the race’s signature Belmont Breeze and experiment with this chef-approved technique. Just make sure your hay is fresh. True hay is for horses after all.
Get inspired with Cooking Channel recipes perfect for your Belmont Stakes viewing party.
